Ivory Coast edges Ecuador 1-0 in FIFA World Cup match

Ecuador and Ivory Coast faced off at the Philadelphia Stadium in a highly anticipated match, with Ivory Coast emerging victorious 1-0. The winning goal was scored by Amad Diallo in the 90th minute, securing three points for his team.

Diallo, who entered as a substitute in the 56th minute, capitalized on a strong run down the right side by Wilfried Singo to score with a left-footed shot from just inside the penalty area. The goal beat diving goalkeeper Hernan Galindez and sealed the win for Ivory Coast.

Prior to Diallo’s goal, both teams had several scoring opportunities, including Elye Wahi hitting the crossbar in the 52nd minute for Ivory Coast, while Ecuador’s John Yeboah and Nilson Angulo also hit the crossbar in the opening half. Ecuador’s best chance after halftime came on Gonzalo Plata’s hard shot from about 25 yards out, which was parried away by goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.

Ivory Coast, making their fourth World Cup appearance since 2014, took a significant step towards reaching the knockout stage for the first time. The team has not conceded a goal in their last 10 qualifying matches. They will next face four-time World Cup champions Germany on June 20, while Ecuador will meet Curacao.

The match was played at the Lincoln Financial Field, with most of the capacity crowd of 68,274 wearing yellow shirts.

Source: Al Jazeera